The season of change
by hydrarianbeast
Summary: A sawsbuck is stuck in his winter form. He, along with many other pokemon, feel a disturbance in there natural powers. An annoying whimsicott volunteers to go with him to find the disturbance.
1. Chapter 1

I sat on the peak of the mountain, feeling the warm summer air around me. Oh, how I loved it. It would bring so much joy to me. I remember when the forest pokemon used to come play in my antlers.

That all ended.

I was a sawsbuck, yes, but I was no ordinary one. I never liked being in a herd. I preferred to not travel at all. I stayed in area for the weather. It would always get warm. It would always get cold. There was no exception.

My favorite time was always summer. The way my antlers burst into full green leaves. It was amazing. All of the young pokemon would come play in them and beg me to tell them stories. I would. I would tell them of the great warriors of the mountains. They would listen, and when the seasons changed, they would leave.

This year, something was wrong. I felt the winter come to a close. I felt the season spring officially settle in. I never changed form. I felt spring pass as well, yet still no change. I knew something was wrong. I ran to the top of the mountain, hoping that the extra height would be enough to make me change. Nothing happened.

So, I sat. I sat on the top of the mountain. I waited. I still wait. There isn't much more I can do. I wait for my form to change, hoping the moment will be soon.


	2. Chapter 2

"Whoa, falling, falling!"

I look up to see a whimsicott flying through the air. I always found them funny. They would ride the winds, occasionally pulling pranks on the pokemon in the area. I would wake up more than once to find a whimsicott hiding in my antlers.

Something was wrong. It was riding on the wind, like it should, but it kept dropping down a bit at a time. It seemed to be desperately trying to stay up. It wasn't succeeding. With one more small lift, it lost control and fell.

Lucky for it, it was falling directly at me. Unfortunately, it was falling rather fast, and ran headfirst into my side. We both fell sideways and slid down the mountain peak. I managed to stop us before we made it to the forest part of the mountain.

I sat there, breathing deeply. The whimsicott had gotten up and started to scream at the air. "I can't believe this! I am one of the best flyers ever! How dare you drop me out of the sky!"

"I may be wrong, but I don't think it was the air's fault," I said, slowly standing up. I did a quick check of my body. Good, nothing broken, not even a cut.

The whimsicott turned to me. "Of course it's the wind's fault. I'm too good of a flyer." She finally seemed to focus on me, and her eyes widened. "Wow, you're a sawsbuck, but your still in your winter form!" Next thing I knew, she was crawling all over me, asking a million questions. "How come you didn't change form? Is this a new thing for sawsbuck? You aren't sick, are you? Is there something wrong with the seasons?"

Taking advantage of her dangling from my horns, I jerked my head downward, throwing her off. "I have some questions for you, why did you fall out of the sky?"

She got up. "That's what I'm wondering. It's a natural ability for us to fly on the wind. I can't figure out why it failed." She seemed lost in thought, then seemed to get an idea. "Wait a minute, isn't it a natural ability for you to change forms?" I nodded. "Then what if the natural abilities of other pokemon are failing as well?" I nodded again. It was possible.

She hopped in front of me and held out her hand. "I'm Lilac, who are you?"

I looked at her, then started to walk towards the forest lower down the mountain. "Mark. Now, why don't you run along? I'll let the leader of the forest know about your suspicions."

She was clinging to my antlers in a matter of moments. "Oh no you don't. If this affects us, we are going to solve it ourselves."

"Are you crazy? We don't even know where to start."

She smiled, getting in my face. "I do. There is a gothitelle in a city not far from here. She is the best star reader ever. If anyone knew where to look, it would be her."

I shook my head. "No. I'm no good at fighting. If we went on this adventure, and were attacked, we would surely lose."

"Come on, please?" She said. I shook my head. She scowled and started to scream please at the top of her lungs. This was loud enough to make some pidove exit the forest.

I couldn't help it. "Alright, I'll help you! Just stop screaming!"

She smiled evilly. "I thought so. Now, let's get going!"


	3. Chapter 3

"You didn't tell me the city was Castelia City!" I exclaimed, eyeing the large skyscrapers. Out of all the cities, it had to be that one? I hated largely populated areas. I was even somewhat claustrophobic. This was going to be a nightmare.

Lilac was pouncing on some cotton she pulled out of her hair. "I don't pay attention to what cities are what. I just know that she lives here. She likes it because of how hard it is to see the stars. She has to put more effort into bending space to see them, making her stronger. That's what makes her so good."

I sighed. "Fine, but we need to keep a low profile. If a trainer sees us, we might get captured, which would make this harder than it already is."

She threw the cotton, and it was whipped away by the wind. "Got that covered. A zorua is waiting for us near the entrance to the city. She's going to pose as our trainer."

I looked at her. "You seem pretty well connected. How do you know all of these pokemon?"

She smiled. "Simple. I travel. The wind takes me everywhere, so I meet lots of people and pokemon."

I rolled my eyes. "Let's just get this over with. Do you know what street she lives on?"

She paused as she started to run towards the city, and sat down. "Well, I know it was all dark and gloomy. It also had lots of garbage cans. The name skinny road I think."

I sighed. "You're hopeless." I got up and started towards the city entrance. We were near the road that led right under the Skyarrow Bridge. Lilac said she had some plan. It took maybe five minutes to reach the road. I eyed the large trucks apprehensively.

"So, what's this amazing plan of yours?"

She smiled. "It's nice and simple. We're going to cause a traffic jam." She ran off towards the road. I followed. We went right under the Skyarrow Bridge. Lilac started to climb the railing. How she was doing it was beyond me.

"Can't we just hop onto the platform at the base of the stairs?" I yelled to her.

"It would be too noticeable." She yelled back. "This is to cause a distraction." She continued to climb. Like a whimsicott climbing onto the highway wasn't distracting enough.

She finally reached the road, and stood there, waiting for something. Just as a large car approached, a large beam of light flew from Lilac's body. The sunlight got incredibly bright. The car swerved and hit the side railing. Luckily it had slowed down a bit, otherwise it could have broken straight off of the road. This blocked the road, making it impossible for any car to pass.

"Why did you do that?" I said as she came back down.

"I told you we needed a distraction. Zorua has to change into a human and we have to sneak onto the bridge. Plus, I've done this before. Sunny day is the best way to do it. People break when they see the beam of light, then swerve when the sun gets too bright. They don't get hurt in any way."

I shook my head. "Whatever. Let's just get onto the bridge already." We snuck over to the base platform. Lilac's plan actually worked. There wasn't a single person paying attention to us. They were all staring at the car crash. We climbed on, where a woman with a flower basket came over us. This must have been the zorua.

Lilac seemed to have a silent conversation with her. The woman nodded, and started to walk towards the bridge. Even as we passed the people, no one even looked our way. We made it over the bridge and through the gate, into the large city.

The zorua stopped, and frowned at Lilac. Lilac frowned to. I understood this silent conversation. They didn't have a clue where they were going. I rolled my eyes. Lilac had said that she thought the road was named skinny road. It had to be along those lines.

I read the signs of all of the streets, and the second to last was the one. It was Narrow Street. It didn't take long to find the gothitelle's house. It seemed to be more of a carved space out of the wall than a door. We walked in, and it looked a lot like what I thought it would. If I had to sum up in as few words as possible, I would say fortune teller's room. It was candle lit and covered large curtains and rugs, all purples or blues. There was even a crystal ball in the middle of the room.

"You wish for your fortune?" I heard the pokemon ask, though I couldn't see her.

Lilac stepped forward. "It's me. I am cashing in my favor."

The gothitelle seemed to form out of the shadows. She inclined her head to us. "If you all put on this elaborate plan to infiltrate Castelia, this must be rather important." She walked over to the Zorua. She touched her and she changed back into a pokemon. "You thought this out quite well. Being an aroma lady was the perfect disguise, considering they are both grass-type pokemon."

She turned to me, and smiled. "Ah, yes, if it isn't Mark. My granddaughter talks quite highly about you. She was rather upset that she didn't get to hear your stories this spring. She came to your original home as soon as she arrived."

I was about to ask what she meant when I remembered the energetic gothorita who would always beg me to hear another story. She even made a few of her own, running them by me. "I apologize, though I am still stuck in my winter form. That is an issue that needs to be resolved."

She nodded. "True. I too have faced this power crisis as well. If I wasn't as good as I am, I wouldn't be able to read the stars anymore." She went over to her crystal ball, which floated up to greet her. "I am unable to tell you what is causing the power depletion, but I can shed some light on it." The ball projected an image onto the floor. It had the four seasons of Sawsbuck on it. "Here is an example of a natural ability. It is something that all pokemon will instinctively be able to do. This power depletion is draining pokemon of their power to do this. How and why, I do not know. Though, if this keeps up, the ability to use moves might be taken as well."

I was sending my mind into overdrive. "Can you sense anything that relates to this depletion? A wave of energy?"

She tilted her head sideways, then nodded. "Yes. There is a slight pulsing. I can feel it draining my power. It seems to be radiating from Pinwheel Forest."

Lilac's eyes widened. "This would take something very strong to take all this power away. It is said that Virizion lives in Pinwheel Forest. What if that's the source of the problem?"

Gothitelle nodded. "It's possible. I suggest you go and check it out." She looked at Zorua. "I suggest that you not go. I may not see everything, but I see that you aren't part of this adventure." Turning back to us, she said. "Now, if you wish to leave the city, you must leave now."

Lilac tilted her head sideways. "Why?"

"A trainer saw you climb onto the bridge. He also saw Zorua change into the aroma lady. He's coming to capture you."


	4. Chapter 4

"Quick! They're right behind us!" Lilac cried. I turned to see a trainer and an unfezant moving quickly in our direction. I heard the trainer yell for his unfezant to fly ahead and slow us down.

"This isn't good," I said after pulling Lilac onto my back. We exited Narrow Street and ran towards the Pokemon Center. "Unfezant is a flying type, and we're both grass type. We have no chance."

She hopped off and turned to face the pokemon. "Well, we have to try." She used sunny day, and the sunlight was bright enough to turn the unfezant off course. It was a male, due to its long plumage. As it started to fly back, Lilac held her hands up, where a small orb of energy was gathering. She pushed her hands out towards the pokemon, and it exploded into a large beam of light. Solarbeam.

The unfezant was hit, but it wasn't enough. He fell towards the ground, but started to glow red. Before he crashed, he leveled out, going from red to blue. He was going to use brave bird on Lilac.

I had to do something. I knew one good move. Hyperbeam. I opened my mouth, ready to let loose the attack, when I was struck cold by the image of the unfezant hitting Lilac. My entire body seemed to chill at the thought.

I let loose the attack, but it wasn't a beam of energy. It was a beam of ice.

Ice beam.

The attack flew towards the unfezant and hit him right before he hit lilac. He was thrown sideways. Lilac looked at me in amazement. "How did you do that?"

"Let's not question it."

The unfezant got up and flew towards us, his beak glowing. Lilac ran over to me at great speed. "Well, do it again!"

I opened my mouth and thought of the winters of the mountain. The freezing temperatures seemed to reach me in the middle of summer. Another beam of ice flew out and hit the pokemon. This time, he fell down; a block of ice coated its back. He was frozen.

We took this opportunity and ran. I heard the trainer screaming in rage. We didn't look back.

Huge mistake.

There was a loud bang, and I fell, my leg full of pain. I looked at my back leg, and blood was flowing from it. The trainer _shot _me.

Lilac ran to my side. "Mark, what happened?" She saw my leg, and turned away. "I think I'm going to be sick." She looked away, and a horrified expression crossed her face. I looked as well, to see the trainer right on top of us.

"You two are going to be mine. I don't care what it takes. You will not leave this city."

Lilac stepped in front of me and spread her arms out. A kind gesture, but a very ineffective one, considering how small she was. The trainer thought so as well. He pushed his long, stringy black hair out of his face. His eyes were crimson red. He laughed at Lilac. "You think you can protect him. You don't have a chance." He raised the gun he used to shoot me.

There was a flash of green, and then a shield of red in front of us. The trainer panicked and shot, but it rebounded and almost hit him in the arm. A pokemon had leapt in front of us and used quick guard. It was green, four-legged, and had two long horizontal horns.

Virizion!

She turned back to us and smiled. Turning back to the trainer, its horns started to glow green. It was about to attack.

Lilac stepped forward and held her hand up to Virizion. Her horns turned back to normal, and she looked at Lilac quizzically. Lilac held her hands up, her cotton glowing blue. A large wind whipped from her in the direction of the trainer. He was picked up off of his feet and thrown into the ocean.

Virizion smiled. "Nice. I don't think I've seen a hurricane that good. You've got real potential."

Lilac sat down angrily and crossed her arms. "Yeah, well I'm a little angry that you're here."

Virizion frowned. "Why? It looks to me that if I didn't intervene, you two would be in some serious trouble."

Lilac looked at her angrily. "We have been searching for the source of a power depletion in pokemon, and you were are top suspect."

Virizion seemed a little hurt at this. "Why would you suspect me? I may not be Colbalion, but I do fight for pokemon when they are in danger."

Lilac got up. "Because the source of the problem is in pinwheel forest. Since you are a strong-"

"I hate to cut this chat short, but I am bleeding to death over here," I interjected.

Virizion nodded. "Right, give me a second." She ran off towards the pokemon center, and came back with Nurse Joy on her back. Nurse joy got down and started to dab at the blood with a rag. It hurt, but I had fallen off a cliff in the mountain and into a tree in the middle of winter, where I had been shredded by branches. I could take this.

"Well, you were only grazed by the bullet," she said. I wondered if she saw the situation, but then I remembered that Virizion could communicate telepathically. She must have filled Nurse Joy in.

After she had most of the blood mopped up, she pulled out some cloth and started to wrap it. She tied it off when she was finished. "Now, see if you can stand on your own." I nodded, and gingerly tested my leg. It hurt, but I was able to stand up and walk a bit. Nurse Joy nodded. "Good. I would make you stay in the pokemon center, but I'm afraid that mean trainer might come back." She turned to Lilac and gave her some of the cloth. "If the bandage gets too soaked with the blood, I want you to rewrap it." Lilac nodded. Nurse joy gave me a couple of oran berries. "Eat these, and if you find some while traveling, I want you to eat at least two of them." She got up, gave us one last concerned look, then walked off.

Virizion smiled. "I always liked her. She is my favorite of the Nurse Joys." She looked at us. "I will run ahead to pinwheel forest and see if I can find this problem you're seeking. You meet me there." She bounded away at great speed.

Lilac blinked. "Did you follow what all just happened?" I nodded. She sighed. "I didn't. We should probably go. Pinwheel forest is a long way away, and I am getting real tired of walking everywhere."


End file.
